Monday, December 29, 2014

Feeling Anxious

A man asked me if I ever feel anxious. Here is my response to that question.

If I do not have enough cortisone "cover" I can become anxious. If I have over done it (more stress than medicine to handle it), then I will need a little more medication for a few days and I will need to eat more often. This helps me not to feel anxious.

One of the reasons I feel anxious is that my blood sugar will drop which causes anxiety. It can help to take a little extra hydocortisone about an hour before exercising. You may need to eat a high protein snack before and after exercising such as nuts. Some people need to have a snack before bed (small and high protein such as cheese and crackers) to help them get through the night. You might also need a snack late morning or mid afternoon (about three or four hours between eating).

My doctor suggested that I keep a health journal to help determine when I need extra medication. Write down when you feel anxious or any other problem. See if their are any patterns and discuss your observations and questions with your doctor. He should be able to help you.

You can take a little extra hydrocortisone about an hour before the stress (if you have warning) and avoid the stressful feeling. I usually try food (balanced snacks- see Recovery diet info ) first. If eating does not help me feel better when I am anxious (you should feel less anxious within half an hour after eating), then I try a taking little more hydrocortisone. A feeling of anxiety is a warning that your body needs help. You may need to eat more (balanced, not high carbohydrate foods ) often and/or you may need more hydrocortisone.

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Disclaimer

Please remember that you must consult a doctor for medical advice. All I can do is share my experiences as a person who had Addison's Disease for 15 years. My adrenal failure was the result of excessive stress to my adrenal glands. When I was able to discover and eliminate this stress, my adrenal glands healed. Now, I am no longer on any medication. My adrenal problems were not the result of damage to my adrenal glands, or the lack of functioning of some other gland. I simply reached a point of adrenal exhaustion.

Please Note

Any level where a person's production of adrenal hormones is lower than normal, can be called Low Adrenal Function, Adrenal Exhaustion, Adrenal Fatigue, or Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). The term "Addison's Disease" is reserved for the point where at least 90% of your adrenal cortex (the outer part of your adrenal glands which produces cortisone) is not producing enough cortisone for your body to function well. The glands may be destroyed or simply fatigued. At this point replacement adrenal hormone medication is prescribed. If excessive stress has caused you to have symptoms of low adrenal function, reducing stress might help you avoid future adrenal failure (Addison's disease). Symptoms, coping, and stress reduction would be similar for any level of low adrenal function.

About Me

I am a wife, mother of four, grandmother, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), writer of nine blogs, published author, editor, teacher, children's tutor, creative writing mentor, and business manager. Links to my blogs are in my complete profile.